This paper aims to the random and uncertain network delays, a novel approach is proposed that new Smith predictor combined with adaptive PID control with RBF neural network for networked control systems (NCS). This novel Smith predictor comes true to hide predictor models of the network delays into real network data transmission processes, therefore network delays don't need to be measured, identified or estimated on-line. Based on CSMA/CD (Ethernet), the results of simulation show validity of this control scheme, and indicate that system has better dynamic performance and strong robustness.


The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of the Kowa HA-2 applanation tonometer in measuring intraocular pressure (IOP) in cats. Ten healthy eyes were used in an ex vivo study in which the calibration curve for manometry vs. tonometry was determined by artificially raising the IOP in 5 mmHg increments up to 60 mmHg (10-60 mmHg). Both eyes of 10 anesthetized cats were studiedin vivo to compare manometry vs. tonometry. In the ambulatory study, 78 healthy eyes, 7 eyes with glaucoma and 20 eyes with uveitis were evaluated by tonometry, which was performed with topical anesthesia and 1% fluorescein eye drops for the formation of fluorescein semicircles. The correlation coefficient (r²) between the manometer and the Kowa HA-2 tonometer was 0.993 and the linear regression equation was y = 0.0915x + 0.0878 in the ex-vivo study. In the in vivo study, the IOP values (mean±SD, in mmHg) in manometry were 15.6 ± 1.1(14.0 – 17.5) and in tonometry were 15.5 ± 1.2(13.5 – 17.2), with no significant difference (P > 0.05) between manometry and tonometry. In ambulatory study, using the Kowa HA-2 tonometer, the IOP values (mean±SD, in mmHg) were 15.0 ± 1.5 (11.8 – 18.3) for the healthy eyes, 38.4 ± 8.1(29.6 – 53.7) for glaucomatous eyes and 10.4 ± 2.0(5.3 – 12.2) for eyes with uveitis. There was a strong correlation and accuracy between the IOP values with the manometry and the Kowa HA-2 tonometer. In the ambulatorystudy the IOP values obtained with the tonometer were compatible for animals with healthy eyes and with clinical signs of glaucoma and uveitis. We conclude that the Kowa HA-2 tonometer can be used in the measurement of IOP in cats, since it is a practical and accurate method in this species.


The significance of employment for people with disabilities has gained interest among researchers. The successful inclusion of people with disabilities in the employment settings depends on the employers' perspective towards their integration in the mainstream workforce. This review examines literature over the past 25 years with an attempt to assess the employers' perspective and specifically, the factors influencing their perspective towards inclusion of people with disabilities in employment. A search of electronic databases has resulted in the selection and analysis of 44 articles. The literature indicates that employers' perspective plays an important role in providing and maintaining employment opportunities for people with disabilities. A number of factors including type of disability and demographic variables affecting employers' perspective have been identified and discussed.


Chromosome painting (CP) refers to fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of chromosome-specific DNA probes to identify large chromosome regions, chromosome arms, and whole chromosomes. For CP and CCP (comparative chromosome painting) in plants, most often, contigs of chromosome-specific bacterial artificial chromosomes (BAC) from the species of origin or a related species are used as painting probes. CP enables visualization and tracing of particular chromosome regions and/or chromosomes throughout all mitotic and meiotic stages as well as the corresponding interphase chromosome territories. CCP enables identification of large-scale homeologous chromosome regions and chromosomes shared among two or more species. Here, a step-by-step protocol for carrying out CP in Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) and CCP in other crucifer taxa based on the use of Arabidopsis chromosome-specific BAC contigs is described. © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


The YAP (yttrium aluminum perovskite) camera is a novel gamma camera with intrinsic submillimeter spatial resolution and detection efficiency comparable to a standard Anger camera. At the first stage, it is a miniature gamma camera with a field of view of 4/spl times/4 cm/sup 2/ and is currently utilized for radio tracer studies on small animals. The YAP camera consists of a multicrystal array coupled to a position sensitive photomultiplier tube (Hamamatsu R2486) with a parallel hole collimator. The preliminary results are presented and discussed, in particular the intrinsic characteristics of the scintillating array, which are measured, as well as the position linearity and the spatial resolution, with a parallel collimator. Images were obtained from /sup 99m/Tc line source and nude Balb C mice, which have been injected with /sup 99m/Tc MDP, a bone-seeking agent. The observed images show the importance of the small-field YAP camera in radiopharmaceutical research.


Abstract There is no consensus about the rate and style of clay mineral diagenesis in progressively buried sandstones v. interbedded mudstones. The diagenetic evolution of interbedded Miocene sandstones and mudstones from the Vienna Basin (Austria) has therefore been compared using core-based studies, petrography, X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence. There was a common provenance for the coarse- and fine-grained sediments, and the primary depositional environment of the host sediment had no direct effect on illitization. The sandstones are mostly lithic arkoses dominated by framework grains of quartz, altered feldspars and carbonate rock fragments. Sandstone porosity has been reduced by quartz overgrowths and calcite cement; their pore-filling authigenic clay minerals consist of mixed-layer illite–smectite, illite, kaolinite and chlorite. In sandstones, smectite illitization progresses with depth; at 2150 m there is a transition from randomly interstratified to regular interstratified illite–smectite. The overall mineralogy of mudstones is surprisingly similar to the sandstones. However, for a given depth, feldspars are more altered to kaolinite, and smectite illitization is more advanced in sandstones than in mudstones. The higher permeability of sandstones allowed faster movement of material and pore fluid necessary for illitization and feldspar alteration than in mudstones. The significance of this work is that it has shown that open-system diagenesis is important for some clay mineral diagenetic reactions in sandstones, while closed-system diagenesis seems to operate for clay mineral diagenesis in mudstones.


The use of a contrast medium allows the high-resolution anatomical information provided by standard magnetic resonance to be combined with functional information obtained by means of diffusion of contrast agent in tissues or in the vascular net. To effectively use this kind of image for medical diagnosis, quantitative analysis should be performed. We propose an automatic registration procedure based on maximization of the mutual information that address the requirement of fast and automatic tools for quantitative analysis of contrast medium enhanced MR images. Two optimization algorithms for maximization of the mutual information are discussed, taking into account both time performance and registration quality. We present also preliminary results on cardiac and wrist MR images showing that misalignments and artifacts introduced by patient movement during the examination are greatly reduced by our application.


OBJECTIVES
Concomitant excessive alcohol consumption and benzodiazepine use is associated with adverse health outcomes. We examined associations of unhealthy alcohol use and other patient characteristics with benzodiazepine use.

STUDY DESIGN
A cross-sectional analysis of 2,089,525 Kaiser Permanente of Northern California outpatients screened for unhealthy alcohol use in primary care between November 1, 2014, and December 31, 2016.

METHODS
We fit multivariable generalized linear models to estimate the associations between unhealthy alcohol use and benzodiazepine dispensation and, among patients who were dispensed a benzodiazepine, mean doses (in mean lorazepam-equivalent daily doses [LEDDs]) and prescription durations. We controlled for patient sex, age, race/ethnicity, estimated household income, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score, anxiety disorder, alcohol use disorder, insomnia, musculoskeletal pain, and epilepsy.

RESULTS
In the 12 months centered around (6 months before and 6 months after) the first alcohol-screening visit, 7.5% of patients used benzodiazepines. The following characteristics were independently associated with higher rates of benzodiazepine use, higher LEDD, and longer prescription duration: older age, white race/ethnicity, lower estimated household income, higher CCI score, and the presence of an anxiety disorder, insomnia, musculoskeletal pain, or epilepsy. Women and patients with an alcohol use disorder or unhealthy alcohol use, compared with men and patients with low-risk drinking or abstinence, were more likely to use a benzodiazepine; however, their LEDDs were lower and their prescription durations were shorter.

CONCLUSIONS
Benzodiazepine use in primary care was associated with older age, female sex, white race/ethnicity, lower socioeconomic status, and unhealthy alcohol use. These findings may be applied to develop policies and interventions to promote judicious benzodiazepine use.


OBJECTIVES
The selectins play an important role in the neutrophil-mediated injury after hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of P-selectin blockade after HS and resuscitation.

METHODS
Forty-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to controlled combined with uncontrolled HS and resuscitation. Rats were divided into three groups (n = 16/group): (1) sham, no HS; (2) control, HS + resuscitation + drug vehicle; (3) treated, HS + anti-P-selectin monoclonal antibody. Transaminase levels to measure hepatocellular injury, liver myeloperoxidase to assess neutrophil infiltration, and histology were analyzed and compared between groups. Survival was followed for 3 days and was compared statistically.

RESULTS
Survival significantly increased from 30% in the control group to 70% in the treated group. Hepatocellular and structural injury as well as neutrophil infiltration were significantly decreased in treated animals.

CONCLUSION
Blockade of P-selectin resulted in decreased hepatocellular injury and increased survival in our model of uncontrolled HS. Selectins may be important therapeutic targets for blockade in the treatment of HS.


An empirical relation has been obtained by which the change in drag
coefficient caused by ice formations on an unswept NACA 65AO04 airfoil
section can be determined from the following icing and operating conditions:
icing time, airspeed, air total temperature, liquid-water content, cloud
droplet impingement efficiencies, airfoil chord length, and angles of
attack. The correlation was obtained by use of measured ice heights and
ice angles. These measurements were obtained from a variety of ice formations,
which were carefully photographed, cross-sectioned, and weighed.
Ice weights increased at a constant rate with icing time in a rime icing
condition and at progressively increasing rates in glaze icing conditions.
Initial rates of ice collection agreed reasonably well with values predicted
from droplet impingement data. Experimental droplet impingement
rates obtained on this airfoil section agreed with previous theoretical
calculations for angles of attack of 40 or less. Disagreement at higher
angles of attack was attributed to flow separation from the upper surface
of the experimental airfoil model.


Rural communities matter. Almost a quarter of the Midwest's population lives in rural communities, but emerging demographic patterns, including the increase of Latinos, are changing the landscapes of rural Midwestern communities. Often, the rise in the Latino population is the deciding factor between growth or decline for a rural community. This circumstance presents a unique opportunity for Extension professionals and communities to initiate best practices around community building and welcoming of newcomers, especially immigrants. We need to harness the strength of all rural residents to create vibrant, healthy, sustainable communities that are centers of creativity and innovation.


The angular distribution of reactive (and also of non-reactive) scattering has been shown to provide useful insights into the steric requirements of chemical reactions. In a simple optical model, the differential scattering cross-section, d2σR/d2w, and the differential orientation-dependent cross-section, dσR/d cos γ, are both derived from a common opacity function. The angle-dependent line-of-centres model has been used to compute both cross-sections. For the K + CH3l reaction where the barrier, according to Bernstein, is a linear function of the cosine of the approach angle, the two differential cross-sections are closely related. Within the angle-dependent line-of-centres model one can also re-examine the optical mode analysis of the non-reactive scattering. This suggests a reinterpretation of the variable 'the potential at the distance of closest approach' as 'the energy along the line of centres'. With this interpretation, the systematics in the opacity functions, determined from the observed non-reactive scattering, can be simply accounted for. In particular, for several reactions [e.g. K + CH3Br, K +(CH3)3 CBr] the opacity analysis provides evidence for a ['cone of nonreaction'] of a primarily geometrical nature reflecting presumably the steric hindrance of the organic group.In the analysis of the reactivity of oriented molecules it has been shown to be necessary to distinguish carefully between the theoretical steric requirements defined in the molecular frame and the operational orientation defined in the laboratory frame. This distinction is readily implemented using a kinematic model. It is thereby found that for K + oriented CH3l the reactivity is strongly dependent on the experimental orientation for backwards scattering. This dependence diminishes for less backwards scattering and is practically unobservable for sideways scattering. This loss in selectivity is, however, of purely kinematic origin: for higher impact parameters the relation between a given experimental orientation angle and the theoretical angle of attack is one-to-many. The kinematic model used incorporates an impulsive release of the exoergicity ala the DIPR model. The impulse is not directed along the old bond. A very definite polarization of the Kl angular momentum in the direction perpendicular to the plane of reaction is noted.


In binary classification problems, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) is commonly used to evaluate the performance of a prediction model. Often, it is combined with cross-validation in order to assess how the results will generalize to an independent data set. In order to evaluate the quality of an estimate for cross-validated AUC, we obtain an estimate of its variance. For massive data sets, the process of generating a single performance estimate can be computationally expensive. Additionally, when using a complex prediction method, the process of cross-validating a predictive model on even a relatively small data set can still require a large amount of computation time. Thus, in many practical settings, the bootstrap is a computationally intractable approach to variance estimation. As an alternative to the bootstrap, we demonstrate a computationally efficient influence curve based approach to obtaining a variance estimate for cross-validated AUC.


This paper discusses recent attempts to use essentialist arguments based on the work of Kripke and Putnam to ground causal necessity in the world. I argue in particular that a recent argument by Alexander Bird relies on controversial intuitions about the natures of substances which no Humean would accept. While a case can be made that essentialism reflects some assumptions within scientific practice, the same can be said of Humeanism; ultimately neither Bird's arguments, nor any empirical facts, can decide the question for or against Humeanism.


SOA4All, a collaborative European research and development project, is pioneering advanced web technology that will allow billions of parties to expose and consume IT services online. Four complementary technical advances are being integrated to create a coherent and domain-independent service delivery platform. Service-oriented architectures and service-orientation principles are being used to support the development of complex services based on distributed and reusable components. Web principles and technology are used to provide an underlying infrastructure that allows the integration of services at a world wide scale. Web 2.0 is used to structure human-machine cooperation in an efficient, user-adapted and cost effective manner. And semantic technology is used to enhance service discovery, composition and execution.


Little is known about the buffering role of social support among orphans living in Africa. This study examined (1) how perceived social support (PSS) varied across orphan-related characteristics (e.g., orphan status, such as single, maternal or paternal, and their living environments, such as in child-headed households, on the street, in an orphanage or in a foster home) and (2) the relative importance of sources of PSS (relatives/community/adults and peers) and functional social support (emotional/informational/instrumental and social) and its association with emotional well-being and mental distress. The participants included 430 orphaned Rwandan children and youth aged between 10 and 25 years (Mean age= 17.74), of whom (n =179, 41.6 percent) were females and (n = 251, 58.4 percent) were males. Result showed that children living in an orphanage exhibited a higher level of PSS from all sources of social support than did children in other living environments. A higher level of PSS from relatives, communities and adults was associated with high level of emotional well-being, and only adult support was associated with low level of mental distress. Furthermore, the functional PSS indicated that emotional support and companionship support were equally important in their association with higher levels of emotional well-being and lower levels of mental distress. The findings highlight the importance of having different sources of social support and their functions in relation to psychosocial well-being.


scaling in psoriasi lesions. DTU Orbit (07/06/2019) An image based system to automatically and objectivelly score the degreeof redness and scaling in psoriasi lesions. In this work, a combined statistical and image analysis method to automatically evaluate the severity of scaling in psoriasis lesions is proposed. The method separates the different regions of the disease in the image and scores the degree of scaling based on the properties of these areas. The proposed method provides a solution to one of the present problems in dermatology: the lack of suitable methods to assess the lesion and to evaluate the changes during the treatment. An experiment over a collection of psoriasis images is conducted to test the performance of the method. Results show that the obtained scores are highly correlated with scores made by doctors. This and the fact that the obtained measures are continuous indicate the proposed method is a suitable tool to evaluate the lesion and to track the evolution of dermatological diseases.


: The interaction of protein and RNA in composition of virion ribonucleoprotein (RNP) of influenza A virus was studied by treatment of this structure with hydrolytic enzymes: pancreatic RNase A, nuclease S1 and pronase. The results indicate that RNA in RNP does not shield proteins from the effect of pronase. The possibility of using this fact in the construction of a model RNP structure is discussed. No differences in the effect of RNase A and nuclease S1 on RNP were found which corresponded to the concept of the protective role of RNP protein in the process of RNA hydrolysis.


OF DISSERTATION ADVANCED SYNCHRONOUS MACHINE MODELING The synchronous machine is one of the critical components of electric power systems. Modeling of synchronous machines is essential for power systems analyses. Electric machines are often interfaced with power electronic components. This work presents an advanced synchronous machine modeling, which emphasis on the modeling and simulation of systems that contain a mixture of synchronous machines and power electronic components. Such systems can be found in electric drive systems, dc power systems, renewable energy, and conventional synchronous machine excitation. Numerous models and formulations have been used to study synchronous machines in different applications. Herein, a unified derivation of the various model formulations, which support direct interface to external circuitry in a variety of scenarios, is presented. Selection of the formulation with the most suitable interface for the simulation scenario has better accuracy, fewer time steps, and less run time. Brushless excitation systems are widely used for synchronous machines. As a critical part of the system, rotating rectifiers have a significant impact on the system behavior. This work presents a numerical average-value model (AVM) for rotating rectifiers in brushless excitation systems, where the essential numerical functions are extracted from the detailed simulations and vary depending on the loading conditions. The proposed AVM can provide accurate simulations in both transient and steady states with fewer time steps and less run time compared with detailed models of such systems and that the proposed AVM can be combined with AVM models of other rectifiers in the system to reduce the overall computational cost. Furthermore, this work proposes an alternative formulation of numerical AVMs of machine-rectifier systems, which makes direct use of the natural dynamic impedance of the rectifier without introducing low-frequency approximations or algebraic loops. By using this formulation, a direct interface of the AVM is achieved with inductive circuitry on both the ac and dc sides allowing traditional voltage-in, current-out formulations of the circuitry on these sides to be used with the proposed formulation directly. This numerical AVM formulation is validated against an experimentally validated detailed model and compared with previous AVM formulations. It is demonstrated that the proposed AVM formulation accurately predicts the system's low-frequency behavior during both steady and transient states, including in cases where previous AVM formulations cannot predict accurate results. Both run times and numbers of time steps needed by the proposed AVM formulation are comparable to those of existing AVM formulations and significantly decreased compared with the detailed model.


Author(s): Martin, Lee R. | Abstract: Three methods were explored to eliminate damage caused by owl pellets and fecal droppings: exclusion; trapping; and sound deterrents including abstract sound, biosonic sound, and high frequency sound. Initial successful results of various types of sound diminished with time to the point that owls adapted and ignored all sound repellents within a short period. Exclusion techniques were ineffective as owls would find ways around, through or between any non-permanent structure blocking entry through warehouse openings. Live-trapping and relocating owls was the only effective technique tested in this experimental program. Three trap methods were found effective, but trap success diminished with use of each method. Thirteen owls were trapped in one warehouse during this study using bal-chatri, goshawk and drop-net techniques. The details of each method are discussed.


The sensitivity of capacitive pressure sensors is primarily determined by the modulus of a soft dielectric layer that reversibly deforms to produce an electrical signal. Unfortunately, the mechanical properties of conventional linear networks are constrained such that a lower limit on softness translates to poor capacitive pressure sensor performance. Here, we overcome this paradigm by leveraging the intrinsic "super-soft" characteristic of bottlebrush polymers. A simple light-induced crosslinking strategy is introduced to facilitate device fabrication and parallel plate capacitive pressure sensors constructed with these bottlebrush polymer networks exhibit up to a 53× increase in sensitivity compared to traditional material formulations, e.g., Sylgard 184. This combination of contemporary synthetic chemistry and application-driven materials design accentuates the opportunities available at the intersection of science and engineering.


Several federal agencies, in cooperation with state governments, are responsible for regulating the safety of the U.S. food supply. In the wake of an outbreak of foodborne illness and the largest recall of suspected contaminated meat in U.S. history in August 1997, several policymakers have reopened the debate on creating a single, independent, federal food safety agency. They assert that this would provide more effective regulatory control over the entire farm-to-table food production and marketing system by eliminating the overlapping and occasionally competing objectives of multiple agencies. As background for further discussion on this and related food safety issues, this report describes the roles of the primary federal and cooperating state agencies responsible for food safety and enumerates the major legislative authorities currently governing them.


Computational representation of spatial qualities can lead us to a better understanding of how we construct spatial concepts. Analyses of spatial qualities can support architects in reasoning about the form of a configuration, helping them predict the consequences of a design. In this paper we present three definitions (enclosure, viewfield, continuity) that describe experiential qualities of architectural spaces. Our project aims to provide computable definitions to these qualities to describe common spatial experiences that are implicitly understood by architects. The description, using familiar terms, reveals the analytical structure of spatial qualities that is based on the geometry of the physical elements. We therefore introduce a graphic editor, Descriptor, that provides visualization of spatial qualities as the designer diagrams building elements. The system calculates perceived relationships (surrounded, visible, nearby, nearest) between a viewpoint and the architectural elements based on their geometric properties such as location and distance. The relationships are the components of the three qualities we define. We also present a use scenario to demonstrate how one might use our Descriptor system during early design. Descriptor is an attempt to formalize descriptions of the spatial qualities to help beginners understand how to make design decisions. In the future, we plan to extend the set of qualities and add detailed attributes of the physical elements to the system.


PURPOSE
To determine the prevalence of proximal tibiofibular ganglion cysts in patients undergoing outpatient magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee.

TYPE OF STUDY
Observational cross-sectional study.

METHODS
From November 2000 to June 2001, every MRI of the knee performed at an outpatient imaging center was reviewed by a single examiner for the presence of a proximal tibiofibular ganglion cyst. In addition to the reason for ordering the MRI, demographic information on all patients was gathered.

RESULTS
A total of 654 knee MRI scans were performed at the outpatient imaging center during the study period. This study population consisted of 310 men and 344 women, with an average age of 43.4 years (range, 11 to 88 years). There were 308 left and 346 right knees imaged. The most common clinical diagnosis in these 654 patients was meniscal tear (42.8%). A total of 5 patients had a proximal tibiofibular ganglion cyst detected on MRI, yielding a prevalence of 0.76% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.1% to 1.4%). These cysts ranged in size from 1.0 to 2.8 cm in maximum diameter. Three were found in men and 2 in women. The mean age of these patients was 47.6 years (range, 42 to 54 years). The most common preimaging diagnosis in these patients was a medial meniscal tear (in 3 of 5).

CONCLUSIONS
This study is the first to provide data on the prevalence of proximal tibiofibular ganglion cysts in a population of patients with knee pain significant enough to warrant MRI. Over half of the patients found to have proximal tibiofibular ganglion cysts had no symptoms or signs attributable to them.


The major component of starch is the branched glucan amylopectin, the branching pattern of which is one of the key factors determining its ability to form semicrystalline starch granules. Here, we investigated the functions of different branching enzyme (BE) types by expressing proteins from maize (Zea mays BE2a), potato (Solanum tuberosum BE1), and Escherichia coli (glycogen BE [EcGLGB]) in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutant plants that are deficient in their endogenous BEs and therefore, cannot make starch. The expression of each of these three BE types restored starch biosynthesis to differing degrees. Full complementation was achieved using the class II BE ZmBE2a, which is most similar to the two endogenous Arabidopsis isoforms. Expression of the class I BE from potato, StBE1, resulted in partial complementation and high amylose starch. Expression of the glycogen BE EcGLGB restored only minimal amounts of starch production, which had unusual chain length distribution, branch point distribution, and granule morphology. Nevertheless, each type of BE together with the starch synthases and debranching enyzmes were able to create crystallization-competent amylopectin polymers. These data add to the knowledge of how the properties of the BE influence the final composition of starch and fine structure of amylopectin.


In the paper, nanostructured, multimodal and conventional WC-12Co cermet coatings were sprayed by HVOF and the properties and structures of the coatings such as microhardness, microstructure, phase composition were compared. Finally sand solid and slurry erosion wear tests were carried out and their wear failure mechanisms were explored by XRD and SEM analysis. Research results show that microstructures of nanostructured and multimodal WC-12Co coatings prepared by HVOF are dense with little porosity, and their microhardness values are obviously higher than conventional WC-12Co coating. As well, it was found that nanostructured and multimodal WC-12Co coatings exhibited better sand solid and slurry erosion wear resistance in comparison with conventional coating and nanostructured WC-12Co coatings possessed the best sand solid erosion resistance properties at large impact angles and slurry erosion wear resistance. Testing results also show that although decarburization of WC occurred during spraying multimodal and nanostructured WC-12Co powders, the decarburization of WC for the nanostructured powder was more severe.


Tidal energy has the opportunity to bring reliable electricity to remote regions in the world. A resource assessment, including the response of the tidal stream resource to fluctuations in the Indonesian Through Flow (ITF) is performed using the Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS) to simulate four different scenarios for flow through the Lombok Strait in Indonesia. Tidal currents simulated with a variable ITF are compared against a tide-only (TO) simulation to identify how the ITF spatially changes the resource across the Lombok Strait. We find that the uncertainty in the tidal currents from the TO simulation is 50% greater than the variable ITF simulation. To identify change to resource, surface velocities from Strong ITF and Weak ITF scenarios are considered. As a result of the fluctuations in the ITF, certain characteristics, such as the asymmetry and magnitude, of the tidal current vary greatly. However, the magnitude of change is variable, with regions to the west of the strait experiencing greater modulation than in the east, suggesting that resource uncertainty can be minimised with selective site positioning.


Posttraumatic Stress Disorder will be a common diagnosis that is seen in the counseling profession. The disorder is becoming more frequent than any time before. Individuals suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder experience a wide range of symptomology and often try to cope with PTSD until treatment is received. This paper will discuss in detail what Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is and how one is diagnosed with the disorder. In addition, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder symptomology varies from individual to individual. Throughout the paper, PTSD's wide range of symptoms will be discussed in great detail. If Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is not treated properly, the symptomology can affect an individual for the rest of his or her life. So therefore, it is crucial for individuals to receive the right kind of treatment for their symptomology. There are many types of treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, although, this paper will focus on exposure therapy and how it helps individuals suffering from PTSD. TREATING TRAUMA WITH EXPOSURE THERAPY 4


Abstract Vaccination remains a mainstay of companion animal population health. However, how vaccine use at a population level complies with existing guidelines is unknown. Here we use electronic health records to describe vaccination in dogs, cats and rabbits attending a large sentinel network of UK veterinary practices. In total, 77.9% (95% CI: 77.6–78.1) of animals had recorded vaccinations. The percentage of animals with recorded vaccinations was higher in dogs, neutered animals, in insured dogs and cats and in purebred dogs. Vaccination rates varied in different regions of Great Britain in all species. Dogs and cats belonging to owners living in less deprived areas of England and Scotland were more likely to be recorded as vaccinated. In the vaccinated population, cats received more core vaccines per year of life (0.86) than dogs (0.75), with feline leukaemia vaccines almost as frequent as core vaccines. In dogs, leptospira vaccines were more frequent than core vaccines. This descriptive study suggests a substantial proportion of animals are not benefiting from vaccine protection. For the first time, we identify potential factors associated with variations in recorded vaccination frequency, providing a critical baseline against which to monitor future changes in companion animal vaccination and evidence to inform future targeted health interventions.


A mutation is a DNA change that is recorded durably and passed on to the offspring. A number of mutations in germ cells have detrimental effects for they often cause hereditary diseases. Likewise, mutations that accumulate in body cells can generate cancers. Nevertheless, a large number of mutations are neutral in their normal environment. The few advantageous mutations that occur are generally maintained. Mutations that arise at random are constantly sifted through by a selective environment. This dual process works as the driving force of evolution.


The reversible, stepwise formation of individual Nb-mu-O-Nb linkages during acid condensation of 2 equiv of A-alpha-[SiNb(3)W(9)O(40)](7-) (1) to the tri-mu-oxo-bridged structure A-alpha-[Si(2)Nb(6)W(18)O(77)](8-) (4) is demonstrated by a combination of X-ray crystallography and variable-pD solution (183)W and (29)Si NMR spectroscopy. Addition of DCl to a pD 8.4 solution of 1 (Li(+) salt in D(2)O) results in formation of a mono-Nb-mu-O-Nb-linked dimer, A-alpha-[Si(2)Nb(6)W(18)O(79)](12-) (2; pD = 3.0-1.3). At pD values between 1.6 and 0.3, two isomers (syn and anti) of the di-mu-oxo-bridged dimer, A-alpha-[Si(2)Nb(6)W(18)O(78)](10-) (3), are observed by (183)W NMR (C(2v) and C(2h) symmetry for the syn and anti isomers, respectively; 5 (183)W NMR signals for each isomer in the ratio 2:2:2:2:1). X-ray-quality crystals of syn-3 were isolated in 53% yield (syn-A-alpha-Cs(8)H(2)[Si(2)Nb(6)W(18)O(78)].18H(2)O, orthorhombic, Cmcm, a = 40.847(2), b = 13.2130(7), and c = 16.8179(9) A at 173K, Z = 4, final R(1) = 0.0685). At the low-pD limit of -0.08 (1.2 M DCl), 4 alone is observed. Additional supporting data are provided by variable-pD (29)Si NMR spectroscopy. Reversibility of the above processes was subsequently demonstrated by acquisition of (183)W NMR spectra after incremental additions of LiOH to D(2)O solutions of 4 to effect its stepwise hydrolysis to 2 equiv of 1.


Bone involvement during an infection of the diabetic foot represents a serious complication associated with a high risk of amputation, prolonged antibiotic treatment and hospitalization. Diabetic foot osteomyelitis (DFOs) require a multidisciplinary approach given the usual complexity of these situations. DFO should be suspected in most cases especially in the most severe forms of soft tissue diabetic foot infections (DFIs) where the prevalence of bone infection may be up to 60%. Suspicion is based on clinical signs in particular a positive probe‐to‐bone (PTB) test, elevated inflammatory biomarkers especially erythrocyte sedimentation rate and abnormal imaging assessment using plain X‐ray as a first‐line choice. The combination of PTB test with plain X‐ray has proven effective in the diagnosis of DFO. The confirmation (definite) diagnosis of DFO is based on the results of a bone sample examination obtained by either surgical or percutaneous biopsy. Sophisticated imaging examinations such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and nuclear imaging techniques are useful where doubt persists after first‐line imaging assessment. These techniques may also help localize the bone infection site and increase the diagnostic performance of percutaneous bone biopsy. The quality of the microbiological documentation of DFO is likely to improve the adequacy of the antimicrobial therapy especially when medical (ie, no surgical resection of the infected bone tissues) is considered. The use of new (molecular) techniques for the identification of the bone pathogens have not yet proven superiority on classic cultural techniques for the management of such patients.


This booklet provides an English summary of the Voedsel-Economisch Bericht 2019 and Duurzaamheid en inkomens in de land- en tuinbouw (www.agrofoodportal.com). It presents a survey of the economic state of Dutch agribusiness. Attention is paid to the development of the agricultural complex, the food industry, the retail chain and the consumption of food. The booklet then proceeds to describe the production structure in the primary agricultural sector, profitability and income formation as well as the environmental performance of the agricultural sector.


Abstract In recent years, artificial neural networks have been commonly used for time series forecasting by researchers from various fields. There are some types of artificial neural networks and feed forward artificial neural networks model is one of them. Although feed forward artificial neural networks gives successful forecasting results they have a basic problem. This problem is architecture selection problem. In order to eliminate this problem, Yadav et al. (2007) proposed multiplicative neuron model artificial neural network. In this study, differential evolution algorithm is proposed for the training of multiplicative neuron model for forecasting. The proposed method is applied to two well-known different real world time series data.


The functionality of an electrocatalyst depends sensitively on the surface chemistry. In the case of transition-metal compounds, both the transition metal cation and the anion must be controlled to maximize the electrocatalytic activity. This realization has driven many efforts devoted to engineering the cation chemistry, producing many state-of-the-art electrocatalysts. Motivated by the critical role the cation plays in electrocatalysis, we seek to understand whether a similar effect can be achieved with the anion. Herein, we present a study on the effect of the anion substitution on the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysis on cobalt oxysulfide nanoparticles. To control the sulfur substitution, we use ammonium sulfide to introduce sulfur to the cobalt oxide nanoparticles at low temperature without inducing secondary phase formation. We find that a lightly doped oxysulfide catalyst, which has the composition CoOxS0.18, exhibits a metastable, distorted S-substituted CoO phase and is 2–3 times more active for the HER than either end-member of the substitution series. Our first-principles calculations attribute the HER enhancement to the stronger surface H adsorption which is maximally favorable at a relatively low doping level. Our work provides a protocol for synthesizing metastable mixed-anion materials and reveals the critical role of the anion on the surface physiochemical properties and the HER electrocatalysis.


The commercial hot-rolled bars of LD10 alloy (grain size 25~75µm) are pretreated via proper recrystallization annealing (temperature 380°C, 420°C and 460°C) and solution annealing (temperature 500°C). The average elongation is increased from 158% to 270%, 223%, 219% and 233% respectively and the maximum elongation is 321% (500°C, 3.3×10-4s-1). The test results show that the alloy can present certain superplasticity owing to structural effect of dynamic recrystallization refining during superplastic deformation of coarse-grained LD10 alloy. Large and deep cavities form in grain boundaries and result in intergranular fracture after larger superplastic tensile deformation. And a large amount of metal filaments appear on grain surfaces. The formation of filaments is attributed to viscous flow of solid-liquid mixture in grain boundaries caused by grain-boundary sliding. The appearance of solid-liquid mixture makes grain-boundary sliding easier.


The tests of the ITER Toroidal Field (TF) full length conductors (hundreds of meters, production phase IV) were started at the end of year 2012 and were performed accordingly to the firmly specified test program. The TF conductors produced by the ITER domestic agencies (European Union, Japan, Korea, and Russian Federation) passed the qualification tests to be used for the TF coil winding. The four ITER Central Solenoid (CS) conductors produced in Japan were tested in frame of supplier qualification tests in order to verify the improved design of the CS conductor operating in cyclic mode and, thus, to solve the issue of drastic performance degradation with electromagnetic cyclic loading observed earlier. The test results of the recently tested ITER conductors are summarized in this paper, and the specific features of the voltage-temperature (VT) evolution in Nb3Sn conductors during the qualification test campaigns are highlighted and compared with earlier tested conductors.


Enhancing achievement in mathematics involves overcoming barriers regarding discontinuity between school and other life contexts, motivational and other affective aspects, and language factors. The utility of cross-age peer tutoring using mathematical games and scaffolding of mathematical discourse in overcoming these barriers is explored in a study of prepost impact for both tutors and tutees. Participants were all the seven-year-old (n = 13) and 11-year-old (n = 14) pupils in a small, rural primary school. After matching and training of pairs, the project ran for five weeks, with two sessions of 30 minutes each week. Pre- and post-intervention, tutors completed the Me-As-Learner Scale (MALS), class teachers completed the Behavioural Indicators of Self-esteem (BIOS) scale with respect to both tutors and tutees, and tutors and tutees completed questionnaires on feelings and attitudes to mathematics. Verbal interaction in a sample of pairs was recorded pre- and post-intervention and analysed. Tutors participated in group subjective feedback discussions at mid- and post-intervention. Class teachers gave post hoc subjective evaluations. Tutors gained significantly overall on MALS and BIOS. Tutees gained significantly overall on BIOS. The tutor overall questionnaire gain was not significant, but the tutee gain was. Verbal interactions showed marked and significant increases in use of mathematical words, strategic dialogue and praise between partners, with a corresponding decline in procedural talk. Other qualitative improvements in interactions were evident, and subjective feedback from tutors and teachers was largely positive. This brief project appeared largely successful in increasing self-esteem for both tutors and tutees, and in increasing both the quantity and quality of interactive discussion about mathematics between children, as well as generic social and communication behaviours in the tutors. Questions remain about the longer-term duration of these gains, especially in different contexts. Recommendations for future research and practice are made.


The paper describes a Chinese prosody model based on clustering and feature learning method. As the tonal language, the features of Chinese prosody are analyzed in accordance with the various context information. Focusing on the notion of prosody templates, we confirmed that a F0 pattern can be extracted based on various context parameters for each syllable. Statistic algorithm was used for template selection and training. Finally, the paper analyzes the error distribution of the F0 predicting results. Unlike other methods, the approach may give feedback as to exactly what the crucial parameters are that determine the successful choice of patterns. Both acoustic validation test and listening test show that the synthesis results are much closed to human being. And the system has been used widely in applications.


Research into social network analysis has shown that graph metrics, such as degree and closeness, are often used to summarize structural changes in a dynamic graph. However there have been few visual analytics approaches that have been proposed to help analysts study graph evolutions in the context of graph metrics. In this paper, we present a novel approach, called GraphFlow, to visualize dynamic graphs. In contrast to previous approaches that provide users with an animated visualization, GraphFlow offers a static flow visualization that summarizes the graph metrics of the entire graph and its evolution over time. Our solution supports the discovery of high-level patterns that are difficult to identify in an animation or in individual static representations. In addition, GraphFlow provides users with a set of interactions to create filtered views. These views allow users to investigate why a particular pattern has occurred. We showcase the versatility of GraphFlow using two different datasets and describe how it can help users gain insights into complex dynamic graphs.


Intraocular pressure (IOP) is maintained as a result of the balance between production of aqueous humour (AH) by the ciliary processes and hydrodynamic resistance to its outflow through the conventional outflow pathway comprising the trabecular meshwork (TM) and Schlemm's canal (SC). Elevated IOP, which can be caused by increased resistance to AH outflow, is a major risk factor for open-angle glaucoma. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) contribute to conventional aqueous outflow homeostasis in their capacity to remodel extracellular matrices, which has a direct impact on aqueous outflow resistance and IOP. We observed decreased MMP-3 activity in human glaucomatous AH compared to age-matched normotensive control AH. Treatment with glaucomatous AH resulted in significantly increased transendothelial resistance of SC endothelial and TM cell monolayers and reduced monolayer permeability when compared to control AH, or supplemented treatment with exogenous MMP-3. Intracameral inoculation of AAV-2/9 containing a CMV-driven MMP-3 gene (AAV-MMP-3) into wild type mice resulted in efficient transduction of corneal endothelium and an increase in aqueous concentration and activity of MMP-3. Most importantly, AAV-mediated expression of MMP-3 increased outflow facility and decreased IOP, and controlled expression using an inducible promoter activated by topical administration of doxycycline achieved the same effect. Ultrastructural analysis of MMP-3 treated matrices by transmission electron microscopy revealed remodelling and degradation of core extracellular These authors contributed equally to this work. Received: December 9, 2016. Revised: January 17, 2017. Accepted: January 18, 2017 VC The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. For commercial re-use, please contact firstname.lastname@example.com 1230 Human Molecular Genetics, 2017, Vol. 26, No. 7 1230–1246 doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddx028 Advance Access Publication Date: 1 February 2017 Original Article matrix components. These results indicate that periodic induction, via use of an eye drop, of AAV-mediated secretion of MMP-3 into AH could have therapeutic potential for those cases of glaucoma that are sub-optimally responsive to conventional pressure-reducing medications.


Using design games at Participatory Design (PD) events is well acknowledged as a fruitful way of staging participation. As PD researchers, we have many such experiences, and we have argued that design games connect participants and promote equalizing power relations. However, in this paper, we will (self) critically re-connect and reflect on how people (humans) and materials (non-humans) continually participate and intertwine in various power relations in design game situations. The analysis is of detailed situated actions with one of our recent games, UrbanTransition. Core concepts mainly from Bruno Latour's work on Actor-Network-Theory are applied. The aim is to take design games seriously by e.g. exploring how assemblages of humans and non-humans are intertwined in tacitly-but-tactically staging participation, and opening up for or hindering negotiations and decision-making, thus starting to relate research on various PD techniques and power issues more directly.


OBJECTIVE
To characterize features of myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) in Miniature Schnauzers and Yorkshire Terriers.

ANIMALS
69 Miniature Schnauzers and 65 Yorkshire Terriers, each with MMVD.

PROCEDURES
Medical record data for each dog were collected; the study period was January 2007 through December 2016. If available, radiographic data were evaluated, and a vertebral heart scale score was assigned for each dog. Statistical analysis was performed with Student t and Fisher exact tests.

RESULTS
Compared with Yorkshire Terriers, the prevalence of MMVD was significantly higher in Miniature Schnauzers and affected dogs were significantly younger at the time of diagnosis. Miniature Schnauzers were significantly more likely to have mitral valve prolapse and syncope, compared with Yorkshire Terriers. Yorkshire Terriers were significantly more likely to have coughing and have had previous or current treatment with cardiac medications, compared with Miniature Schnauzers. There was no statistical difference between breeds with regard to abnormally high vertebral heart scale scores or radiographic evidence of congestive heart failure.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
With regard to MMVD, features of the disease among Miniature Schnauzers and Yorkshire Terriers were similar, but there were also a few discernable differences between these 2 breeds and from historical findings for dogs with MMVD of other breeds. Clinical signs at the time of diagnosis differed between the 2 breeds, which may have reflected concurrent breed-specific conditions (sick sinus syndrome or airway disease [eg, tracheal collapse]). Future work should include prospective studies to provide additional information regarding the natural progression of MMVD in these dog breeds.


An increasing number of equivalence and non-inferiority trials appeared in recent years among randomized clinical trials, particularly for the evaluation of efficacy of treatments in cardiovascular medicine. These studies are characterized by remarkable methodological issues and important ethical implications. The aim of this review was to underscore some topic methodological problems: setting the equivalence boundary, the special logic used to establish equivalence, and the determinants of sample size. A Medline search was performed in order to identify the main problems in study design and in the interpretation of results of the equivalence and non-inferiority trials in cardiovascular diseases.


A methodology is proposed for the effective integration of photovoltaic (PV) devices into the electric utility distribution network operations. The dispersed PV generator is viewed as an active device used to improve system stability by appropriately modulating the power conditioning unit's output power. Disturbances on the utility system can be damped out by injecting this power into the grid in such a way so that the net effect is a cancellation of undesirable oscillations. The approach is implemented by monitoring the oscillating power and generating control signals which shape accordingly the interface unit's output power. Successful implementation of the scheme relies heavily on the speed and flexibility with which the electronic inverter moves power from the primary source/storage facility to the utility lines. Simulation studies, using the proposed control approach, indicate that application of these policies may result in reduced load following requirements for conventional power generating units, increase the value and acceptability of new energy technologies, and improve power quality and stability of the interconnected system.


The detailed study of the structure and electron density distributions of polymorphic and phase transition materials is presented. Understanding and predicting the appearance of polymorphism and phase transitions in organic and organometallic materials is of considerable interest in fields such as pharmaceutical science, solid-state chemistry, and materials science. However, the small lattice energy difference between the different molecular conformations and packing between these materials are often particularly challenging in this area. Consequently, obtaining the most accurate description of the atomic positions and the electronic distributions plays an extremely important role in obtaining the best estimation of the lattice energies. In the present work,high-resolution X-ray diffraction as well as neutron diffraction tehniques have been used in reaching these aims. For minimizing the data collection times, synchrotron sources were also used for obtaining X-ray diffraction data, including Diamond, I19 beam line and Soleil, CRYSTAL beam line. Molecular complexes of lutidine isomers and chloranilic acid are also studied, in both 1:1 and 2:1 ratios, in order to investigate their relative stabilities through hydrogen bond contributions towards stabilising stoichiometrically different 'compositional polymorphs'.
The energy stability rankings in small organic molecules and transition metal complexes which exhibit polymorphism or displacive phase transitions are calculated using
experimental charge density and fully theoretical approaches. The effect of the hydrogen bonds in the rank stabilities is also investigated. The pharmaceutical sulfathiazole and piracetam compounds are identified to have very small lattice energy differences between the polymorphs studied and the ranking stability orders are not maintained in the approaches used. Studies of the coordination complex [Ni(en)3]2+(NO3-)2 show that, contrary to expectation, the higher temperature phase is calculated to be the most stable one, showing the strongest intermolecular interaction energies. Overall, the presented
studies show that current methodologies for estimating solid state lattice energies, even using high quality diffraction data and complex modeling of the electron density, are not sufficiently accurate to allow reliable estimation of polymorph energy differences. The results obtained for all studied polymorphic and phase transition materials using the experimental charge density approach show a high dependence of the lattice energies on the multipole model used.


Protection coordination is the heart of all power systems. To insure a quality and reliable operation of the power systems, an electrical fault must be cleared within short time. This can be achieved by proper coordination between the protection relays. In Siddik Kardesler Substation the MV voltage feeders' protection is provided by overcurrent relays. This paper is principally concerned with practical protection coordination of the electrical substation by using substation as case study. In the Part-2, distance and differential protection will be discussed. Finally, after test and commissioning, the substation is successfully energized without problem.


This is an ecological, analytical and retrospective study comprising the 645 municipalities in the State of Sao Paulo, the scope of which was to determine the relationship between socioeconomic, demographic variables and the model of care in relation to infant mortality rates in the period from 1998 to 2008. The ratio of average annual change for each indicator per stratum coverage was calculated. Infant mortality was analyzed according to the model for repeated measures over time, adjusted for the following correction variables: the city's population, proportion of Family Health Programs (PSFs) deployed, proportion of Growth Acceleration Programs (PACs) deployed, per capita GDP and SPSRI (Sao Paulo social responsibility index). The analysis was performed by generalized linear models, considering the gamma distribution. Multiple comparisons were performed with the likelihood ratio with chi-square approximate distribution, considering a significance level of 5%. There was a decrease in infant mortality over the years (p 0.05). The proportion of PSFs deployed (p < 0.0001) and per capita GDP (p < 0.0001) were significant in the model. The decline of infant mortality in this period was influenced by the growth of per capita GDP and PSFs.


Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) suffer from a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that results from the body's immune system targeting healthy tissues which causes damage to various organ systems. Patients with lupus are still in need of effective therapies to treat this complex, multi-system disease. Because polymorphisms in ACE are associated with the activity of SLE and lupus nephritis and based on well-documented renal-protective effects of Renin Angiotensin System (RAS)-modifying therapies, ACE-I are now widely used in patients with SLE with significant efficacy. Our research explores alternate ways of modifying the RAS as a potential for systemic therapeutic benefit in the MRL-lpr mouse model of SLE. These therapeutics include; angiotensin (1-7) [A(1-7)], Nor-Leu-3 Angiotensin (1-7) (NorLeu), Losartan (ARB), and Lisinopril (ACE-I). Daily systemic treatment with all of these RAS-modifying therapies significantly reduced the onset and intensity in rash formation and swelling of the paw. Further, histology showed a corresponding decrease in hyperkeratosis and acanthosis in skin sections. Important immunological parameters such as decreased circulating anti-dsDNA antibodies, lymph node size, and T cell activation were observed. As expected, the development of glomerular pathologies was also attenuated by RAS-modifying therapy. Improved number and health of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), as well as reduction in oxidative stress and inflammation may be contributing to the reduction in SLE pathologies. Several studies have already characterized the protective role of ACE-I and ARBs in mouse models of SLE, here we focus on the protective arm of RAS. A(1-7) in particular demonstrates several protective effects that go beyond those seen with ACE-Is and ARBs; an important finding considering that ACE-Is and ARBs are teratogenic and can cause hypotension in this population. These results offer a foundation for further pharmaceutical development of RAS-modifying therapies, that target the protective arm, as novel SLE therapeutics that do not rely on suppressing the immune system.


A magician is a person who can make you disbelieve your own eyes by doing something you believed to be impossible. The magic woodcarver does that by carving things that seem (almost) impossible. Traditionally wooden chains and balls in cages have been favored projects, also for me at the start of my carrier. Over the years, however, I have managed to expand the range of projects by introducing entirely new and vastly more complicated types of models to carve. I have used creative geometric tools to achieve this goal. This paper explains two of my most successful geometric methods. Figure 1: Examples of traditional magic woodcarving. Bridges 2010: Mathematics, Music, Art, Architecture, Culture


A newly opened excavation in the Cassina beds of the Lower Meride Limestone (Monte San Giorgio UNESCO WHL, Canton Ticino, Southern Alps) has yielded a small collection of Ladinian plant fossils, together with vertebrate (mostly fish) and invertebrate remains. The flora contains at least five species; conifer remains assignable to the genera Elatocladus , Voltzia and ? Pelourdea are the most common elements. A new species, Elatocladus cassinae n. sp., is formally described. Co-occurring with the conifers are seed ferns (Ptilozamites) and a few putative cycadalean remains (? Taeniopteris ). Among the identified genera, only Voltzia has previously been reported from Monte San Giorgio. The fossils presented in this paper indicate that a diversified flora thrived in the region during the Ladinian. Floral composition and preservation patterns are suggestive of a taphonomically-biased record and a relatively far-away source area.


Following the reorganisation of government departments announced on 23 March 2010, the Office of the Minister for Drugs (OMD) is now located in the new Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs (DCEGA). Chief Whip Pat Carey TD, who was Minister of State with responsibility for drugs strategy and community affairs for 11 months between June 2007 and May 2008, was appointed Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, including responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy and the OMD.

Explaining the reconfiguration of the DCEGA, the Taoiseach said:1

It is important, while addressing the priority issues in responding to unemployment and driving economic recovery, that we do not lose sight of the importance of social development, the targeting of the most vulnerable and support for those working to make a difference right across our communities. I have therefore decided that the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs will become the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs and will incorporate responsibility for social inclusion policy and family policy from the Department of Social and Family Affairs and for equality, disability, integration and human rights from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

In the reorganisation, former Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Eamon O Cuiv TD, went as minister to the new Department of Social Protection, and the former minister of state with responsibility for drugs strategy and community affairs, John Curran TD, was appointed Government Chief Whip.

Mary White TD was appointed Minister of State at the departments of Justice and Law Reform, Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, and Education and Skills, with special responsibility for equality and human rights, and integration. It may be expected that the issue of drugs will come within her purview as well. In recent years, explicit policy commitments to recognise and address the human rights issues involved in drug control have been made at both UN and EU levels.2 With regard to equality, Drugnet Ireland regularly reports on research highlighting how the drugs issue impacts on members of groups vulnerable to discrimination and provided for under Ireland's equality legislation, including young people, women, and members of the LGBT community, of new Irish communities and of the Traveller community.3

1. Cowen B (2010, 23 March) Parliamentary Debates Dail Eireann (Official report: unrevised): Nomination of members of government: motion. Vol. 705, No. 1, p. 9. Available at http://debates.oireachtas.ie/Xml/30/DAL20100323.PDF
2. See Pike B (2009) Development of Ireland's drug strategy 2000–2007. Overview Series 8. Dublin: Health Research Board. pp. 99–101.
3. Under the Equal Status Acts 2000–2004, discrimination is prohibited on nine grounds, including gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race, and membership of the Traveller community.


The energy innovation scenario sees hybrid wind-wave platforms as a promising technology for reducing the variability of the power output and for the minimization of the cost of offshore marine renewable installations. This article presents a model that describes the installation of a 5 MW wind turbine on a floating platform designed by Fincantieri and equipped with gyroscopic stabilization. The use of gyros allows for the delivery of platform stabilization by damping the wave and wind induced motion on the floater and at the same time producing extra power. Shetland Island was chosen as the reference site because of its particularly harsh weather. Final results show that the total production of power in moderate and medium climate conditions is considerable thanks to the installation of the gyro, together with a significant stabilization of the platform in terms of pitching angle and nacelle acceleration.


Abstract Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced strains in the diagnostic process through uncertainty in diagnosis, changes to usual clinical processes, and introduction of a unique social context of altered health care delivery and fear of the medical environment. These challenges created a context ripe for diagnostic error involving both systems and cognitive factors. Case presentation We present a series of three pediatric cases presenting to care during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic that highlight the heightened potential for diagnostic errors in the pandemic context with particular focus on the interplay of systems and cognitive factors leading to delayed and missed diagnoses. These cases illustrate the particular power of availability bias, diagnostic momentum, and premature closure in the diagnostic process. Conclusions Through integrated commentary and a fishbone analysis of the cognitive and systems factors at play, these three cases emphasize the specific influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric patients.


The rapid changes in our age have an important position in competitive advantage for businesses. Measuring intellectual capitals of businesses gained great importance in terms of issues such as surviving in both local and global markets, competing with existing and potential competitors. In this study, after a description of the concept for intellectual capital are explained with intellectual capital measurement models, the measured values ceramics enterprises in the Borsa Istanbul (BIST) has been analyzed by comparing them. 2006-2010 periods of financial statements for the enterprises were used in the sample of the study. Market Value / Book Value ratio and Tobin's Q ratio which have similar calculation method have come closer to each other with regard to five years average results and business ranking were the same. However, according to calculation of the value of intangible assets which have long calculation method and quite technical has changed the rank of the businesses. In this context; this method has shown that Kutahya Porcelain INC. is the one company that gives importance to intellectual capital and protects its value.


Because of the complex structure of grader working device, its optimization is a repeated, continuously improved process. A new model has to be set up before each optimization. In order to solve the problem of repeating modeling and improve the product optimization efficiency, a second development system of working device is established. Parametric driving about working device is realized in term of spatial mechanism. At first, the overall design framework of this second development system was established, then customized user interface was completed based on UG/Open API and parametric programs about the working device system were complied based on UG/Open Grip subsequently. The connection among customized user interface, parametric programs and human-computer interaction was realized by using Visual C++, the integrated second development system design of working device was eventually completed. This second development system could not only provide engineers with a rapid design method to shorten the new product development cycle, but solve the problem of repeating modeling during optimization design as well.


As urbanization of the world's population grows at an ever-increasing pace, the need to understand the effects of globalization on cities is at the forefront of urban studies. Traditional scholarship largely employs a framework of analysis based on the globablizing experience of Western cities. In "Globalizing City", Richard Grant draws on ten years of empirical research in Accra, Ghana's capital city, to show how this African metropolis is as deeply transformed by globalization as the cities of other world regions.Grant reveals the ways in which international, transnational, and local forces are operating on the urban landscape of Accra, from elite gated communities to the poorest slums. Through interviews and extensive field work, he examines how foreign companies, returned expatriates, and native Ghanaians foster globalization on multiple levels. "Globalizing City" offers an excellent case study of the complex social and economic dynamics that have transformed Accra, providing an essential guide for studying globalizing cities in general.


Two maximum-security private prisons, otherwise known as joint-venture prisons, are being built in South Africa as a pilot project. The two sites that were chosen by the South African Department of Correctional Services are Louis Trichardt and Bloemfontein. The Bloemfontein private prison is already under construction and is destined for completion on 1 October 2001. This private prison, called Mangaung Maximum Security, is to be managed by Bloemfontein Correctional Contracts (previously known as Ikhwezi Correctional Contracts), a consortium of companies including South African companies and the European-based company Group 4 Correction Services. The Louis Trichardt prison is to be managed by SA Custodial Services, also a consortium of South African companies but ultimately consisting of the internationally known private company Wackenhut Corrections Corporation, with its main headquarters based in Florida, the United States of America (USA). Both international companies are well established and experienced in the business of corrections since they have been operational for a number of years. In fact, since about the mid-1980s the governments of a number of First World countries, most notably the USA, the United Kingdom (UK) and Australia, have all taken part in ventures with the private sector to, amongst other things, operate juvenile and adult correctional facilities. Now it seems South Africa, too, has become involved in this highly debated and controversial aspect of public-private partnerships.


The aims of this research is to know agrotourism sustainable development of Mangunan Garden. The reasons of developing agrotourism as such, it educates the purpose of keeping the relationship among local societies, interest sectors, and visitors. The Agrotourism of Mangunan Garden is inspired to improve the farmers earnings and the quality of rural society lives which then expletedly represent opportunity to educate th societies on agriculture an ecosystems. Agrotourism sustainable development of Mangunan Garden, embrases: geography, topography, elimate, type of vegetation (pine forest), in addition to destination which withdraw to visit, are Elephant Dlingo Cave, Pine Forest, Gardu Pandang, Cerme Cave, Makam Raja-Raja Panjimatan.
Keywords : Agrotourism, Mangunan Garden, geography, topography, climate


The energetics and transport properties of the polaron in the anisotropic surface over liquid helium are investigated. The localization radii and the energy of the ground and excited states are calculated using the variational method within the hydrodynamic model of the polaron. In particular, we have considered maximal anisotropy which corresponds to the system of electrons in quasi-one-dimensional channels over liquid helium. The polaron binding energy is found and the temperature for the polaron formation is estimated to be below 0.1 K. Solving the hydrodynamic equations for fluid velocities, the polaron mobilities along and across the channel are determined. The possibility of experimental observation of polarons by measuring the frequency of spectroscopic transitions as well the mobility as functions of the holding electric field is addressed.


Environmental factors such as pollutants are associated with diabetes incidence. Of particular interest is exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) during critical stages of fetal development. TCDD (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin) is a potent ligand of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, which leads to induction of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1 enzymes. We hypothesize that POPs such as TCDD accumulate in the pancreas, thereby eliciting stress on developing beta cells through induction of CYP1A1. Here, I exposed rodent alpha and beta cell lines to TCDD in vitro, but did not observe induction of Cyp1a1 gene expression or enzyme activity, meaning that this pathway is not activated in immortalized pancreatic endocrine cell lines. I also differentiated human embryonic stem cells toward pancreatic cell fate in vitro to study how TCDD exposure impacts human beta cell development. I concluded that TCDD might impede normal development of beta cells, potentially through induction of CYP1A1 and other embryonic lineages.


Far from witnessing the beginning of the end of organized labour as a major political force, Rethinking Global Labour argues that, post-financial crisis, we are entering a new era for workers and their organizations in which they will begin to impact decisively on the new global order. In exploring the potential futures for the world's workers, the book provides an insightful account of how globalization has created a new global working class while increasing the insecurity and precarious nature of most employment. Moving beyond categories of North and South, Munck argues that the new global class of workers will be central both to the future of globalization and to its possible alternatives. In some ways the book poses a 'return to the future' drawing parallels with the birth of the labour and democratic movements before the consolidation of nation states. At a time of growing unease with the negative effects of economic globalization, Rethinking Global Labour offers an important assessment of global labour and its potential for organization.


Over the past ten years, the Cameroonian cotton front, in the Sudano-Sahelian region, has experienced dynamics in soybean production, resulting in significant changes in agro-systems. From a simple hut culture not referenced in regional agricultural statistics, since 2010, soybean ranks 2nd in legumes cultivated after peanuts, followed by cowpea and voandzou, yet culturally and economically more adopted by the populations. The rapid development of cultivated areas from 6,705 ha in 2008 to 15,020 ha in 2018 is indicative of the enthusiasm shown by farmers for this speculation which, despite the almost lack of supervision on the part of public authorities, now structures a real value chain with challenges for improving farmers' incomes, in a space where more than 80% of working people live from agricultural activities. The objective of this research is therefore to analyse the sustainability challenges of a productive and market dynamics built around speculation subject to strong demands of international competitiveness. The results show that the viability of this dynamics remains precarious through a set of constraints inherent in the proven inability of farmers to empower themselves to optimise production and control marketing, as well as the poor technical supervision of cultivation.


Triaxial tests are used extensively to evaluate stress-strain behavior for both saturated and unsaturated soils. A literature review indicates that all conventional triaxial test methods measure the relative volume of soil; however, between the initial measurements and the start of the triaxial tests, there are unavoidably disturbances during installation that cause deviation of soil volume from that at the initial condition. Recently image-based methods have been developed to measure the absolute volume of soil specimens. However, these methods still have a major limitation in their inability to determine top and bottom boundaries between the soil specimen, and the top and bottom caps. This paper proposes a photogrammetry-based method to overcome this limitation by developing a mathematically rigorous technique to determine the upper and lower boundaries of soil specimens during triaxial testing. The photogrammetry technique was used to determine the orientations of the camera, and the shape and location of the acrylic cell. Multiple ray-tracings and least-square optimization techniques were also applied to obtain the coordinates of any point inside the triaxial cell, and thus back-calculate the upper and lower boundaries. With these boundaries and the side surface, a triangular surface mesh was constructed and the specimen volume was then calculated in both unconfined compression tests and triaxial tests. The calculation procedures are presented in detail with validation tests performed on a cylindrical specimen to evaluate the accuracy of the method. Results indicate that the accuracy of the proposed method is up to 0.023% in unconfined compression tests and 0.061% in triaxial tests.


Detection of neutral atom emission from hot plasmas has evolved to the point where it is now possible to image hot plasmas in neutral atom emission. In this paper, we review the qualitative and quantitative spatially resolved information that can be obtained from neutral atom images, e.g., hot ion transport and ion temperatures. A challenging aspect of neutral atom imaging of the earth's quiet time magnetosphere is that the combination of small neutral fluxes and spacecraft motion necessitates the development of algorithms capable of summing neutral emission obtained from different vantage points over many months to obtain statistically significant images. The image summing algorithm and typical summed images are also presented in this work.


ABSTRACT This article discusses and highlights alignment issues that arise between UNIMARC Authorities Format and Resource Description and Access (RDA) regarding the creation of name and title authorities for musical works and creators. More specifically, RDA, as an implementation of the FRAD model, is compared with the UNIMARC Authorities Format (Updates 2012 and 2016) in an effort to highlight various cases where the discovery of equivalent fields between the two standards is not obvious. The study is envisioned as a first step in an ongoing process of working with the UNIMARC community throughout RDA's advancement and progression regarding the entities [musical] Work and Names.


With literary content becoming increasingly accessible through various online sources one needs to question if traditional forms of publishing are on their last legs. For my book project I would like to discuss traditional forms of book publishing and newer forms of publishing. What brought this topic to mind was the Aikiwenzi-Damm article on indigenous versus non-indigenous editors in the publishing industry, which led me to the question of the amount of autonomy that indigenous writers have in telling their stories when having the looming possibility of those stories not being considered marketable to an editor. Various platforms online such as blogging platforms that we use in this class offer aspiring writers autonomy to develop their own platforms for their stories that were unheard of to previous generations of writers. I would like to explore what this means for the future of traditional forms of publishing through the use of an interactive website. The reason I've chosen this particular format is because it fits the theme of the argument being made, which is that online forms of self publishing are becoming more popular and may potentially end up overshadowing traditional publishing, particularly for marginalized communities. To do this I will outline a number of basic points. The first will be the history of the publishing industry and its propensity to privilege certain groups of writers over others. The second will be the rise of new forms of online based publishing and how online forms carry the potential of being empowering to marginalized groups (indigenous communities, colored communities, etc). Lastly, I will discuss where the two stand in respect to each other. The goal of this project is to take a comprehensive look at where the publishing industry has failed in regards to representing marginalized groups and how the use of new media is used by those communities to remedy that failure.


Thraustochytrids are marine heterotrophic microorganisms known for their potential to accumulate docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-enriched lipids. There have been many attempts to improve thraustochytrid DHA bioprocesses, especially through traditional optimization of cultivation and media conditions. Nevertheless, thraustochytrid-based bioprocesses are still not commercially competitive for high volume-low cost production of DHA. Thus, it is realized that genetic and metabolic engineering strategies are needed for the development of commercially competitive thraustochytrid DHA cell factories. Here, we present an analytical workflow for high resolution phenotyping at metabolite and lipid levels to generate deeper insight into the thraustochytrid physiology, with particular focus on central carbon and redox metabolism. We use time-series sampling during unlimited growth and nitrogen depleted triggering of DHA synthesis and lipid accumulation (LA) to show-case our methodology. The mass spectrometric absolute quantitative metabolite profiling covered glycolytic, pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) and tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) metabolites, amino acids, complete (deoxy)nucleoside phosphate pools, CoA and NAD metabolites, while semiquantitative high-resolution supercritical fluid chromatography MS/MS was applied for the lipid profiling. Interestingly, trace amounts of a triacylglycerols (TG) with DHA incorporated in all three acyl positions was detected, while TGs 16:0_16:0_22:6 and 16:0_22:6_22:6 were among the dominant lipid species. The metabolite profiling data indicated that lipid accumulation is not limited by availability of the acyl chain carbon precursor acetyl-CoA nor reducing power (NADPH) but rather points to the TG head group precursor glycerol-3-phosphate as the potential cause at the metabolite level for the gradual decline in lipid production throughout the cultivation. This high-resolution phenotyping provides new knowledge of changes in the central metabolism during growth and LA in thraustochytrids and will guide target selection for metabolic engineering needed for further improvements of this DHA cell factory.


Incorporating animals into emergency management is complex and involves many stakeholders who may not be core members of the emergency management system. This presents challenges as individuals and groups with veterinary and animal rescue knowledge are called upon, or offer, their assistance during emergency events. This paper uses a case study of the animal emergency management response during bushfires at Sampson Flat in South Australia in January 2015. South Australia incorporates animal welfare into emergency management planning and response arrangements. This case study draws on in-depth interviews with people directly involved in animal care during the bushfire response and examines their contributions and the successes and challenges involved in the response. The interviews revealed that the overall response was considered a success, especially in the areas of cooperation and coordination among the groups involved and the positive outcomes for animal welfare. The challenges identified related to communication, engaging with volunteers and staffin the response. This paper offers an example of best practice for animal welfare in emergency management. The challenges, and the responses to them, show the importance of flexibility, cooperation and learning from experience.


We present a novel approach to creating structured diagrams (such as o w charts or object diagrams) by combining an off-line sketch recognition system with the user interface of a traditional structured graphics editor. Our system, called UDSI (user-directed sketch interpretation), aims to provide drawing freedom by allowing the user to sketch entirely off-line using a pure pen-and-paper interface. The results of the drawing can then be presented to UDSI, which recognizes shapes, lines, and text areas that the user can then polish as desired. The system can infer multiple interpretations for a given sketch to aid during the user's polishing stage. The UDSI program uses a novel recognition architecture that combines low-level recognizers with domain-specic heuristic lters and a greedy algorithm that eliminates incompatible interpretations.


Abstract Some of the most pronounced ecological responses to climatic warming are expected to occur in polar marine regions, where temperature increases have been the greatest and sea ice provides a sensitive mechanism by which climatic conditions affect sympagic (i.e., with ice) species. Population-level effects of climatic change, however, remain difficult to quantify. We used a flexible extension of Cormack–Jolly–Seber capture–recapture models to estimate population size and survival for polar bears (Ursus maritimus), one of the most ice-dependent of Arctic marine mammals. We analyzed data for polar bears captured from 1984 to 2004 along the western coast of Hudson Bay and in the community of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. The Western Hudson Bay polar bear population declined from 1,194 (95% CI = 1,020–1,368) in 1987 to 935 (95% CI = 794–1,076) in 2004. Total apparent survival of prime-adult polar bears (5–19 yr) was stable for females (0.93; 95% CI = 0.91–0.94) and males (0.90; 95% CI = 0.88–0.91). Survival of juvenile, subadult, and senescent-adult polar bears was correlated with spring sea ice breakup date, which was variable among years and occurred approximately 3 weeks earlier in 2004 than in 1984. We propose that this correlation provides evidence for a causal association between earlier sea ice breakup (due to climatic warming) and decreased polar bear survival. It may also explain why Churchill, like other communities along the western coast of Hudson Bay, has experienced an increase in human–polar bear interactions in recent years. Earlier sea ice breakup may have resulted in a larger number of nutritionally stressed polar bears, which are encroaching on human habitations in search of supplemental food. Because western Hudson Bay is near the southern limit of the species' range, our findings may foreshadow the demographic responses and management challenges that more northerly polar bear populations will experience if climatic warming in the Arctic continues as projected.


Background: The loss of extensor mechanism continuity that occurs with patellar and quadriceps tendon rupture has devastating consequences on patient function. Purpose: To describe a treatment strategy for extensor mechanism disruption and evaluate the outcomes of 3 techniques: primary repair, repair with semitendinosus tendon autograft augmentation, and reconstruction with Achilles tendon allograft. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: The authors reviewed surgeries for extensor mechanism disruption performed by a single surgeon between 1999 and 2019. Patient characteristics, imaging studies, surgical techniques, and outcomes were recorded. Primary ruptures with robust tissue quality were repaired primarily, and first-time ruptures with significant tendinosis or moderate tissue loss were repaired using quadrupled semitendinosus tendon autograft augmentation. Patients with failed previous extensor mechanism repair or reconstruction and poor tissue quality underwent reconstruction with Achilles tendon allograft. The primary outcome was extensor mechanism integrity at a minimum 1-year follow-up, with extensor mechanism lag defined as >5° loss of terminal, active knee extension. Secondary outcomes included postoperative knee range of motion, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) and Tegner activity scores, and the radiographic Caton-Deschamps Index. Results: Included were 22 patellar tendon and 21 quadriceps tendon surgeries (patients: 82.5% male; mean age, 48.1 years; body mass index, 31). Seventeen (39.5%) cases underwent primary tendon repair, 13 (30.2%) had repair using semitendinosus tendon autograft augmentation, and 13 (30.2%) underwent reconstruction using an Achilles tendon allograft. Seventeen (39.5%) cases had at least 1 prior failed extensor mechanism surgery performed at an outside facility. At the last follow-up, 4 (9.3%) cases had an extensor mechanism lag, no cases required additional extensor mechanism surgery, and all cases were able to achieve >90° of knee flexion. Postoperative IKDC scores were significantly improved with all methods of extensor mechanism surgery, and postoperative Tegner activity scores were significantly improved in patients who underwent primary repair and Achilles tendon allograft reconstruction (P < .05 for all). Conclusion: Primary repair alone, repair using quadrupled semitendinosus tendon autograft augmentation, and reconstruction using Achilles tendon allograft were all effective methods to restore extensor mechanism and knee function with the proper indications. Persistent knee extensor lag was more common in chronic extensor mechanism injuries after failed surgery, although patients still reported significantly improved postoperative functional outcomes.


This guide provides an introduction to using ArcGIS Online. ArcGIS Online enables the creation of web maps, web applications, and geospatial analysis projects to communicate with broad audiences related to spatial topics.


Studies involving the introduction of cloned homologous genes into Vibrio anguillarum revealed that several plasmids could not be conjugally introduced into V. anguillarum 775(pJM1), but were transmissible to the pJM1-cured derivative H775-3. Recombinant pBR322 plasmids containing V. anguillarum genomic DNA inserts were mobilized from Escherichia coli donors, using pRK2013, into V. anguillarum H775-3 recipients at frequencies of 10(-6) to 10(-5) per recipient. When identical matings were performed with V. anguillarum 775(pJM1) recipients, the infrequent exconjugants recovered carried the pBR322-based plasmid but had lost the large virulence plasmid pJM1. Similar studies were carried out with plasmid RP4 and with recombinant derivatives of the closely related broad-host-range plasmid pRK290. While RP4 was transmissible from E. coli to V. anguillarum H775-3 at frequencies of 6.7 x 10(-2) per recipient, transmission to V. anguillarum 775(pJM1) recipients occurred at frequencies of only 2.5 x 10(-7). When pRK290 contained V. anguillarum DNA inserts, the only exconjugants recovered had lost pJM1, or contained pJM1 and a deletion derivative of the recombinant pRK290 plasmid where all of the DNA insert had been deleted. The use of Dam-, Dcm-, or EcoK- methylation-deficient E. coli donor strains failed to result in appreciable numbers of V. anguillarum 775(pJM1) exconjugants that contained the desired transferred plasmids. Following UV mutagenesis, a derivative of V. anguillarum 775(pJM1) was isolated that would accept conjugally transferred plasmid DNAs at frequencies similar to those observed when using V. anguillarum H775-3 recipients. These data suggest that virulence plasmid pJM1 mediates a restriction system that prevents conjugal transmission of plasmid DNA from E. coli donors into V. anguillarum 775(pJM1). This putative restriction system appears not to be directed towards Dam-, Dcm-, or EcoK-methylated DNA, and appears not to involve a Type II restriction endonuclease.


Background: Diabetes is considered as one of the most common chronic disease. Studies show that diabetes decreases the activity of antioxidant enzymes. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the alcoholic extract of Juglans regia leave on brain antioxidant enzymes in Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: In this study, adult male Wistar rats (n=40, weight 250±20 gr) were randomly divided into 4 groups: 1) Control (intact animals); 2) Streptozotocin-induced diabetics; 3) Treatment-1 (500 mg/kg extract); Treatment 2 (250 mg/kg extract). The two treatment groups received the extract through gastric gavages for 21 days. At the end of the treatment, the blood glucose and level of brain antioxidant enzymes (catalase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase) and malone dealdeid (MDA) were determined. Results: Results showed that the MDA concentration was significantly increased in brain tissue in the diabetic compared to the control group (P<0.05) and leave extract of Juglans regia decreased the MDA level. Furthermore, the levels of catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase significantly decreased in brain tissues in the diabetic compared to the control group (P<0.05) and leave extract of Juglans regia increased these enzymes. Conclusion: It can be concluded that oral administration of alcoholic extract of Juglans regia leave has the antidiabetic and antioxidant activities in Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.


A diastereomeric mixture of the α-amino nitrile prepared by the Strecker reaction of benzaldehyde, (1S,2R)-1-aminoindan-2-ol, and cyanotrimethylsilane thermally epimerizes in the solid state to give a single diastereomer with an (S)-configuration at the α position to the nitrile moiety. This shows a sharp contrast to the reaction conducted in DMSO at room temperature, which gives a 1:1 mixture of (S)- and (R)-isomers. Several other α-amino nitriles also epimerize in the solid-state toward single diastereomers.


During the last decades, thanks to supportive policies of countries and a decrease in installation costs, total installed capacity of wind power has increased rapidly all around the world. The uncertain and variable nature of wind power has been a problem for transmission system operators and wind power plant owners. To solve this problem, numerous wind power forecast systems have been developed. Unfortunately none of them can obtain absolutely accurate forecasts yet. Thus, researchers assumed that wind power generation is a stochastic process and they proposed a stochastic programming approach to solve problems arising from the uncertainty of wind power. It is well known that representing stochastic process by possible scenarios is a major issue in the stochastic programming approach. Large numbers of scenarios can represent a stochastic process accurately, but it is not easy to solve a stochastic problem that contains a large number of scenarios. For this reason scenario reduction methods have been introduced. Finally, the quality of this reduced scenario set must be at an acceptable level to use them in calculations. All of these reasons have encouraged authors to develop a wind power scenario tool that can generate and reduce the scenario set and test the quality of it. The developed tool uses historical data to model wind forecast errors. Scenarios are generated around 24 day-ahead point wind power forecasts. A fast forward reduction algorithm is used to reduce the scenario set. Two metrics are proposed to assess the quality of the reduced scenario set. Site measurements are used to test the developed wind power scenario tool. Results showed that the tool can generate and reduce the scenario set successfully and the proposed metrics are useful to assess the quality.


In this paper, we study the exploitation of statement-level parallelism in dependence cycles of Do-loops executed in a random (general) synchronization mode, with emphasis on the effect of statement ordering on parallelism level. For a dependence cycle of a single parallel loop, the parallelism exposed, in general, varies with the alignment of statements. Statement reordering (without modifying the semantics) relies on the compile-time prediction of execution-time of the loop. An improved timing formula and the derived algorithm of statement reordering in single Do loop with dependence cycles to improve the performance of parallel loops are proposed and discussed.